Labour spending: Cabinet Office launches 'leak' investigation

The Cabinet Office last night ordered an inquiry into whether Government
secrecy was breached when the personal papers of Ed Balls were leaked to The
Daily Telegraph.

Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, denied any suggestion that officials in his department might have been behind the leakPhoto: RII SCHROER

By Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter

9:25PM BST 10 Jun 2011

The investigation was launched in response to a request from Mr Balls, the shadow chancellor, who said he welcomed the move.

Mr Balls said he last saw the papers, which included letters between Gordon BrownandTony Blair, on his desk in the Department for Children before last year’s election. It is understood they were not among papers delivered to his Commons office after Labour’s defeat. “I don’t know how they were taken and got to the Telegraph,” he told the BBC.

Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, denied any suggestion that officials in his department might have been behind the leak.

A source said: “Ed Balls is pathetically trying to blame officials. He should ask his best friend Damian McBride how these things get leaked.”

Mr McBride, a close Brown aide, was accused of being the source of negative briefings against Mr Brown’s rivals.